One of the advantages of riding regularly with people who like you (and whom you like, of course) is that you get invited on pick-up rides when somebody's got an idea for a new route or destination. Laura OLPH had heard from Paul I about a new coffee place in Flemington; she went to try it out recently, but wanted to bring The Usual Suspects (when we ride with Laura, we're the Hill Slugs; when we ride with Tom H, we're the Insane Bike Posse). So after the obligatory flurry of emails, we gathered at one of Tom's common starts: a parking lot on Laurel below 518. In addition to Tom, Laura, and me, we had Snakehead Ed, Peter, Chris C, Winter Larry, and Mighty Mike M.
Laura has retired the Chocolate Bunny ride, in both name and route... but apparently a good idea is a good idea, so for today's ride she brought chocolate eggs for all the finishers.
Off we went and turned onto 518 in Rocky Hill...
... and picked up John K, who'd misread the directions to the start. So we were 9.
My ride page includes my rides to and from home; we went about the flattest, safest route possible into Flemington. Do you think I remember where I got these? (I'll give you a hint - I don't.)
I DO remember coming into Neshanic after going down Zion, and stopping to tighten one of my bottle cages, which had loosened and was giving the most annoying rattle - almost as annoying as the fact that the 3mm wrench on my multi-tool was just that little bit too short to tighten it correctly. I also remember turning onto the bridge there and coming face-to-face with a HUGE SUV that I hadn't expected to be there. Surprise!
The place in Flemington is called Factory Fuel.
I can't tell you about the coffee, but they had great baked stuff, and they laughed politely at my stupid jokes and treated us almost as if we were real people. There's a farm market next door offering chili, as well.
Obligatory bike pics:
Didn't-get-close-enough pics of the alpaca farm we passed on the way back:
At Lindbergh & Ridge Roads:
About two miles from the ride start, I got a flat I needed to change, and after that, I decided not to fight the hill going from the ride start back home, but to take the longer, flatter route up 27. Laura was concerned about the safety of the route... but I ride in New Brunswick; Route 27 in Kingston and Kendall Park was NOT going to be a problem. I came home to my wife singing her way through a cooking marathon.
Life is good. What are youse-all doin'?
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